In “The Kill Hole,” an Iraq War veteran is haunted by his actions in the service. It screens at 8 p.m. Friday.

After 10 years, the San Diego Black Film Festival has established itself as one of the largest black film festivals in the country, attracting thousands of filmmakers, stars and movie lovers to the city each winter.

Running today through Sunday in downtown San Diego, this year’s festival features 100 films focusing on the African-American and African Diaspora experience, plus a dose of Hollywood glitz.

Karen Willis, the festival’s director, said SDBFF has earned a reputation as a “distribution festival,” meaning that a handful of its films each year go on to land theatrical or DVD distribution deals, such as last year’s horror film “Locked in a Room” (releasing in March) and the romantic drama “The Custom Mary” (available on streaming and DVD).

This reputation has led to a healthy rate of film submissions each year and an enthusiastic relationship with filmmakers.

“Last year alone, we had at least four filmmakers contacting us, thanking us,” Wills said.

The festival kicks off today with the world premiere of the new PBS miniseries “African Independence,” directed and narrated by Dr. Tukufu Zuberi, who also appears on the network’s “History Detectives” series. The documentary examines the journey that various African nations undertook to break free of colonial rule and dictatorship, from the 1800s to present day.

The festival showcases a diverse mix of feature films, documentaries and shorts, many of which fall into themes that might help you plan your schedule.

For folks looking for a fright, there’s Kinda Scary, the horror and sci-fi block that includes the zombie apocalypse romp “One Last Sunset.”

If spirituality is what you’re seeking, try Kinda Religious, featuring Christian-oriented films and, for the first time in the festival’s history, two Islam-related films: the documentary “The Test of Freedom: Muslim Americans Struggle Against Prejudice,” followed by the short “American Imam,” on Saturday at 3 p.m.

In honor of Black History Month, SDBFF will host a Saturday film series, beginning at 11 a.m., that includes powerful stories of African-American communities fighting against inequality in everything from education (“Unearthing the Dream”) to control over a historically black cemetery (“Sacred Ground: The Battle for Mt. Auburn Cemetery”).

Unlike many local film festivals that take place over a week or more, SDBFF is what Willis describes as a “compact” event — and she intends to keep it that way. She says the long weekend is perfect for stars, filmmakers and guests to experience everything the festival has to offer — parties, panels, schmoozing and more — before they have to hurry back to their lives.

“If we were to change that,” she said, “we would lose a lot of that attractiveness.”